Self-binding harvester



(N0 Modei.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. 0. GARMAN. SELF BINDING HARVBSTER.

Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

ATTORNEI;

N. PHERS. Phnto-Ulbognplur, Washinglon. a. a

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. 0. CARMAN.

SELF BINDING HARVESTER.

Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

ATTORNEY 'ffja N FETERS, Pholn Laho w. Waahmgmn. o. c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. A. O. OARMAN.

SELF BINDING HARVBSTER.

No. 339,145. Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN O. CARMAN, OF POTTERVILLE, MICHIGAN.

SELF-BINDING HARVESTER.

SEEECIFICAI'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 839,145, dated April 6, 1886.

Application filed November 3, 1884.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALVIN O. CARMAN, of Potterville, in the county of Eaton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Binding Harvesters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in selfbinding harvesters, the object of the same being to provide improved mechanism for transmitting power from the driving-shaft to the binder and from the binder to thepackershaft; a further object being to provide an improved tripping device; a further object being to provide improved ejecting mechanism.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a portion of a harvester embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation; Fig. 4, a viewin side elevation; and Fig. 5 is a detached view.

A represents the main frame of the reaper, to the outer end of which the supportingframe of the binder, packer, and ejector mechanism is secured, the said supportingframe consisting, preferably, of four uprights, a, a, a", and a, the two latter being somewhat higher than the two former, and connected by a top rail, 13. a and a are connected by a top rail, 6, and the uprights c c and a a are connected by cross girders I) and 1) 11 respectively. Two intermediate cross-girders, O c, are secured at one end to the rail B, and extend from thence downwardly to the plane of the girders b If, thence outwardly to the rail 1), to which they are secured, and from thence project outwardly and terminate in bearings c, forthe ejectorshaft a".

D is the binder-actuating shaft. It is journaled in suitable bearings, d, secured to the girders b I), and also has bearings cl on the intermediate girders, O c. The front end of D is provided with a spur-wheel, E, mounted Serial No. 147,087. (No model.)

loosely thereon, and with a combined cam and mutilated gear-wheel, e, secured rigidly thereon in juxtaposition to the wheel E. Motion is imparted to the spur-wheel E by a pinion, F, rigidly secured on a short shaft, 7, journaled at one end to the upright c or crossgirder Z) and at the other end in a bracket arm, I), seen red to the upright a. The pinion F is driven bysuitable gear connecting it with the main driving-shaft. (Not shown.) The front side of the rim of wheel E is provided with ratchctnotches c, and a dog, f, actuated by spring f, is secured to the rear side of the rim of wheel 6 in such a position that it engages the notches s when in its normal position, and thereby locks the wheel e to E, causing said wheels to rotate together, and hence causing the shaft D to rotate. The dog f is, however, forced out of engagement with the wheel E, while thegrain is gathering and being packed for a bundle, by means of an arm or finger, f rigidly secured on the front end of the tripshal't G, the said finger j being adapted to rest between the dog and rim of the wheel E, and is held in this position by the tension of a spring, f, on the said shaft G. The end of the finger f" is adapted to engage a shoulder, f, on the dogf, when in position, to hold dog out of engagementwith the wheel E, and thereby prevent any displacement of the wheel or shaft D in a forwardly rotary motion.

The tripshaft G, above referred to, is journaled in suitable bearings secured to the upright al and to an inwardly-cxtending arm, g, the latter being secured to the side of the knotterframc H. The shaft G is further provided on its rear end with a downwardly and outwardly extending trip-linger, g, the purpose of which will hereinafter more plainly appear. wardly from the reaper-1: latfor1n to a posit-ion beneath the trip-iinger g, the lower end of the trip-finger resting on or near said apron.

The packer-shaft K is journaled in suitable bearings secured to the upright c and the intermediate cross-girders, O a, a short distance below the top rail B. The shaft Kis provided near its forward end with a pinion, 7f, adapted to engage the spurwheel E, said pinion being An inclined table, I, extends up- IOO loosely mounted on the shaft and provided with notches on the front end of itshub, adapted to engage the clutch 7c. The clutch is is allowed a sliding motion on the shaft K, and caused to rotate with the shaft by means of a feather and groove or other suitable device, and is provided with an annular groove, It", adapted to receive the branches of the operating lever or arm k. The latter is pivoted to the end of an arm, t, rigidly secured to the top rail 13, and extending forwardly and outwardly to a point in front of the wheel 6, as shown. The clutch k is forced into engagement withthe pinion k by a spring, k, on the front end ofshaft K, and is forced and held out of engagement therewith by a lug, h on the operating-arm k, which engages the front rim of the wheel 6. At one point the said rim is cut away, forming a notch, it, said notch having an abrupt shoulder on one side and a gradual incline on the other, whereby the lug It, when in the notch, prevents the wheel from displacement in a backward rotary motion, but allows it to turn freely in a forward direction. \Vhen the lug k is in the notch It, the clutch is in engagement with the pinion-hub. The shaft K is further provided with a double crank, L, about midway between the intermediate girders, C c, to which crank the packers Z are pivoted. A T-shaped standard or bracket, K (this bracket has been shown detached on Sheet 1,) is secured to the knotter-frame H at a point corresponding with the double crank, the ends of the cross-bar of said bracket forming bearings for the ends of connectinglinks Z, pivotally secured thereto and to the packers Z. The packers Z are provided with bows Z on their backs, to guide the grain smoothly beneath the arm when it is down. The knotter-frame H, referred to above, is supported at each end by the girders G c, and is located below the binder-actuating shaft D. The knotter itself forms no part of my present invention, and is not shown. It may be of any approved construction consistent with the arrangement of parts shown, and is located within the frame H. The compressorarm shaft M is journaled in suitable hearings, or m, the former secured to the upright a and the latter to the frame H. The compressorarm m is rigidly secured to the rear end of the shaft M, and extends downwardly in close proximity to the floor of the binder. The forward end of the shaft M is provided with a rigid collar, on, having a projecting lug or arm, m", secured thereto. Said shaft M is also provided with a loose crank, m located in close proximity to the collar m, and with a spring, at, the tension of which tends to force the arm m" away from the grain into elevated adjustment. The crank m is connected with the lower end of the operating-lever N by a rod, n. TheleverNis pivotally secured to the arm 11, and is provided at or near its central portion with a stud, a, carrying an anti-friction roller, n adapted to engage the cam-groove or in the front face of the wheel e. The portion of the groove a lying nearest the center of the wheel 6 forces the operating-lever outwardly, and leaves the shaft M free to be rotated by the tension of the spring on, but when the lever engages the portion of the groove a lying farthest from the center of e the shaft M, being now locked to the crank m by the arm m, coming in contact with the rod n, will be rotated in the opposite direction against the tension of the spring m, thereby depressing the compressor-arm m and holding the same in a depressed position until the irregular portion of the groove is again reached by the lever. The needle shaft 0 is journaled in suitable bearings secured to the cross-girder b and to a support, 0. The shaft 0 is provided with the binder arm or needle 0,rigidly secured to its rear end, and with the crank 0*, rigidily secured to its forward end. Acrank, 0 rigidly secured on the forward end of the binder-shaft D, is connected with the crank 0" by a rod, 0, in such a manner that a revolution of the shaft D will raise the needle to a point beneath the frame H, and return the same to its depressed position. The ejectorshaft 0 as hereinbefore stated, is journaled in the outer ends of the intermediate girders,C c. It is provided with a pair of large sprocketwheels, P, rigidly secured thereon between its bearings, and with a small sprocket-wheel, p, rigidly secured on its forward end. Motion is communicated to the shaft 0 froma sprocket-wheel, p, rigidly secured on the binder-shaft D, and connected with the wheclp by a sprock et-chain, 1)". Two sprocket pulleys, q, are mounted on stub-axles or studs pflset in brackets p, secured to the inner side of the knotter frame H in positionscorresponding with the large sprocket-wheels P. The ejector-armsR are pivotally secured to corresponding links on the two endless chains Q, which pass about the wheels 1? and pulleys q, and said arms R are further secured to the chains by curved links 0', which are pivotally secured to the arms R and to links of the chains located in the rear of the arms R. By the above construction the arms on the chains Q are free to adapt themselves to the curve of the wheels, and at the same time they are braced ina position at right angles to the chains while they travel from the binder -floor outwardly, and the arms R, as they pass from the binder-floor outwardly, are in close proximity to the floor J. Said arms R, furthermore, occupy such a positionon the chains that they come in contact with the inner side of the bundle at the moment the knot is tied, and slide thesame outwardly off the floor J.

The combined operation of the parts herein described is as follows: Suppose the cam L on the clutch'operating arm k to be in the notch 7a, and hence the clutch 7c in engagement with the pinion k,and suppose the tripfinger g to be depressed, and hence the dogoperating arm or finger f in position between the wheel E and dog f, thereby holding the latter out of engagement with the ratchetoutwardly off the machine.

notches on E,leaving E free to rotate. As E is loosely mounted on the shaft D, the binder and ejector mechanism will remain quiet, and the packer-arms, driven by the wheel IE, will operate,gathering the grain beneath the finger hen sufficient grain has gathered beneat-l1 said finger to rotate the shaft G and release the dog f from the arm f, the said dog will spring into engagement with one of the notches 6, thereby locking the wheel 6 to the wheel E and causing it to rotate therewith. This starts the binder-shaft, needle-shaft, and ejector mechanism, and at the same time slides the lug 75' out of the notch k, thereby releasing the clutch it from the pinion k and stopping the packer-shaft. The first half-revolution of the shaftD elevates the binder arm or needle separating the gavel, forcing it against the compressor-arm m and carrying the cord around it to the knotter. The second half-revolution of shaft D returns the needle to its depressed position, ties the knot, releases the compressor-arm m", and conveys the bundle, by means of the ejector-arms, At the moment the revolution of I) is completed the lug 7.: again falls into the notch in, the clutch engages the pinion k, the arm f releases the dog f from the wheel E,thc binder stops, and the packers begin to operate, as before noted.

It will be observed that by the above construction the packers are automatically stopped while the binder and ejector mechanism is in motion, and, vice versa, that the compressor-arm is positively forced downward and held in contact with the gavel, that the ejector mechanism slides the bundle off the machine without any tendency to roll it, and that the dog and clutch operating devices serve at the same time to lock the binder-shaft against displacement, thus reducing the number of parts and simplifying the general. construction.

' It is evident that slight changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting my self strictly to the construction herein set forth.

I am aware that it is not new to provide endless chains with earrying-arms, the latter being pivotally braced on said chains, and hence I make no claim to these parts, separately considered.

Having fully described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a self-binder, the combination, with the binder-actuating shaft, of a spur-Wheel mounted loosely thereon, a cam-wheel rigidly secured thereon, a dog pivotally secured to the inner face of the cam-wheel and adapted to engage teeth on the adjacent face of the spur-wheel, and devices, substantially as describcd,for holding the dog out of contact with the spur-wheel.

2. In a selfhinder, the combination, with the binder-actuating shaft, of a combined spur and ratchet wheel mounted loosely thereon, a camwheel for operating the knotter, the binder-arm and ejector mounted rigidly thereon, and a dog secured to the cam wheel adapted to engage the ratchet-notches on the spur wheel, thereby causing the wheels to rotate together, substantially as set forth.

8. In a selfbinder, the combination, with the bi nder-actuati ng shaft having a spurwheel provided wit-h ratchet-notches mounted loosely thereon, and a camwheel for operating the knotter, binder arm, and ejector mounted rigidly thereon, of a dog secured to the camwheel and adapted to engage the ratchet notches on the spur wheel, and a releasingfinger secured on the trip-shaft adapted to hold the dog out of contact with the spurwheel while the gavel is forming, substantially as set forth.

4. In a self binder, the combination, with the binder-actuating shaft having a spur-wheel and a cam-wheel mounted thereon, the former loosely and the latter rigidly secured on the binder shaft, devices, substantially as described, for locking the spur-wheel to the shaft, and the paekershaft geared with the spurwheel and provided with a clutch, of a clutchoperating arm adapted to engage the face of the cam-wheel for the purpose of throwing the paeker'shaft out of gear while the binder is in motion, substantially as set forth.

5. In a self -binder, the combination, with the binder shaft having the spurwheel mounted loosely thereon and the cam -wheel mounted rigidly thereon, and the packer-shaft provided with a loose pinion geared with the said spur-wheel and with a clutch, of the dog, its releasingarm, a shaft, and a trip-finger for operating the releasingarm, and the clutchoperating arm,whereby the packer mechanism and the binder mechanism are alternately set in motion and stopped, substantially as set forth.

6. In a self-binder, the combination, with a cam-wheel rigidly secured on the binder-shaft, said cam wheel having a shouldered dog secured on one side and a notch formed on the opposite side, of a dog-releasing finger and a clutch-operating lever adapted to engage the shoulder and notch,respectively,thereby looking the cam-wheel against displacement, substantially as set forth.

7. In a self-binder, the combination, with a cam-wheel rigidly mounted on the binder-shaft, having a notch on the side of its rim, a spurwheel loosely mounted on said shaft, and a packershaft provided with a loose pinion gearing with the spur wheel, of a spring-actuated clutch secured on the packer-shaft, and a clutch operating arm provided with a lug adapted to engage the notch on the cam-wheel, thereby locking the loose pinion to the packershaft and causing the shaft to rotate, substantially as set forth.

8. In a self-binder, the combination, with a cam-wheel rigidly secured on the bindershaft,

the compressor-arm, compressor arm shaft, and the spring for raising the compressor-arm, of the crank loosely mounted on said shaft, the rigid collar having a projecting arm, a lever adapted to engage a cam-groove on said camwheel, and a rod connecting the lever and the crank, all of the above parts combined operating substantially as set forth.

9. In a self-binding harvester, the combination, with a binder -actuating shaft, a spurwheel mounted loosely thereon, a cam-wheel rigidly secured thereon, and a dog secured to the rigid wheel and adapted to engage the adjacent face of the loose wheel, of a chain-driving wheel rigidly secured on the binder'actuspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALVIN O. GARMAN.

\Vi tnesses:

E. M. WILDER, RICHARD CARMAN. 

